Something Nice For Your Liver
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(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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We spend a lot of time here talking about beer drinking. And every time you and I take a drink, there’s an unsung hero working behind the scenes, diligently cleaning up our mistakes.
Yes, I’m talking about our abused livers.
For all that your liver has done for you — and doubtless, for all that it will — now’s your chance to really do something nice for your liver.
What’s that you say? No, don’t buy it a drink! That’s like making dinner for your housekeeper and then letting her to take care of the dishes.
You could give up drinking for a few days . . . but it’s hard to enjoy beer without drinking it, so there’s got to be a better way.
Collaboration Not Litigation Ale
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(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...
I love a beer with a good story.
Collaboration Not Litigation Ale popped onto my radar about a year ago. Did I read about the beer in a newspaper article online? Did I hear the story on the radio? I’ve no clue — I can’t remember! I absorb stories, and beer stories in particular have a way of catching my attention. In fact, the story of two breweries with a beer of the same name and style clanged around in the dark and dusty corners of my head for a full year — keeping company with useless A-Team trivia and the lyrics to Monty Python songs — waiting until just a few weeks ago, hen I crossed paths with a bottle of Collaboration Not Litigation Ale.
I’ll let the fine folks at Avery tell the tale:
Salvation. The name of two intricate Belgian-style ales, created by us – Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing and Adam Avery of Avery Brewing. After becoming friends a few years ago, we realized that we both had a Salvation in our line-ups. Was it going to be a problem? Should one of us relinquish the rights? “Hell no!” we said. In fact, it was quickly decided that we should blend the brews to catch the best qualities of each and create an even more complex libation. In April 2004, in top-secret meeting at Russian River Brewing (well actually it was packed in the pub, and many were looking over our shoulders wondering what the hell was going on), we came up with the perfect blend of the two Salvations. Natalie, Vinnie’s much more significant other, exclaimed, “We should call this Collaboration, not Litigation Ale!” “Perfect!” we shouted. We celebrated deep into the night, (or is it morning?). Fast forward to February 2008, and we completed our second blending of these two fine ales. Batch 2 will become available to the public February 12th.
The last time I climbed a mountain is well documented (feel free to read all about it here). But Mount Monadnock, the New Hampshire bunny slope I so triumphantly scaled, simply cannot compare to the reigning New Hampshire beast — Mount Washington.
Mount Washington is the kind of place where, all winter long, record-setting temperatures are recorded by some unlucky fellow whose mother never needs to remind him to stay buttoned up. Outside of getting one of the tacky “This Car Climbed Mt Washington” bumper stickers that plague New England, I’ve never come up with a good reason to visit Mount Washington. That is until now, when I discovered the Tuckerman Brewing Company in Conway, NH.
Named for Tuckerman’s Ravine, the brewery aims to brew beer inspired by the “majestic solitude and beauty” of the legendary Ravine. By the way, if anyone knows why the Ravine is so legendary, please comment and let me know!
This might just be the only positive review of Hurricane Amber you’ll be able to find online. At least, I haven’t been able to find any others.
Newport, RI is home of boating, music festivals, and lots of drinking. The city is also home of the Coastal Extreme Brewing Co., “RI’s only Microbrewery and exclusive brewers of Newport Storm Hand Crafted Beers”.
Newport Storm Hurricane Amber Ale is getting trashed on the big beer rating sites, but I wanted to try the beer for myself. I grabbed a bottle, strapped on my life vest, and dove into the eye of the Storm.
There’s nothing “extreme” about this Coastal Extreme brew; in fact the hops are present but pretty mild, and they’re matched by a toasty malt that dominates the finish. It has a nice color, fairly clear body, and a soft but carbonated mouthfeel. The aroma floats from malt to nondescript beer, but the flavor and the balance between hop and malt is really pretty good.
Hurricane Amber would be a great beach or boat beer — a fact not lost on the brewers, who go out of their way to offer this craft beer in cans (beach and boat friendly) as well as bottles.
Maybe some of the poor reviews are simply old? It’s entirely possible that Newport Storm has refined its brew to address some of the criticism. But I suspect this beer has just been panned as being too simple. The toasty malt and smooth finish are uncharacteristic of many ambers, but relegating the bitterness to a supporting role adds to the drinkability and made me want another.
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
As someone who has memorized the entire script to the dead parrot sketch and knows a thing or two about silly walks, I can forgive you if Monty Python’s Holy Grail Ale found its way into your shopping cart the very same day you discovered such a beer existed.
But I’ve avoided the beer, until now.
Did I think it would taste like Spam? Was I afraid of a good taunting? Would Tim the Enchanter blast me away for drinking the beer? Of course not. I stayed away because I was worried the Holy Grail Ale would be like the giant, wooden rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail — funny looking and quaint on the outside, but ultimately empty.
I’m pleasantly relieved to report the Holy Grail Ale is actually quite good. The beer is not the explosive failure I had feared — no beer equivalent of the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that you could easily drink three of these beers, though no more, and no less. Three shall be the correct number thou shalt drink, and the number of the drinking shall be three. Four shalt thou not drink, neither drink thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out.
Okay, now that I’ve alienated everyone who played varsity sports in high school, the geeks and I can hang out and talk beer.
